Tips to make time with your children EXTRAORDINARY

Lets face it, parents are busy going to work and once at home, this time is spent nagging the children to get chores done, homework; prepare dinner, wash dishes, take baths and quickly to bed. We have an average of 4 hours a day available at home and we spend it this way.

Here are tips to make time with your children EXTRAORDINARY:

1) Turn cellphone, TV and computers off.
2) Take 30 minutes a day to look at your child in the eyes and actively listen to what they are saying without any distractions.
3) Eat dinner together at the dinner table as much as possible. Preferable, if the family is home, eat together.
4) Use the "Talking Stick" at dinner time where each family member holds the talking stick and speaks about the exciting and not-so-exciting parts of their day.

After all, our children are the most important persons in our lives. lets give them the attention that they deserve.

Finding the Right Therapist for You

Think about the last time you went to buy a car. Did you simply walk on the lot and say 'okay I'll take that car? Or did you talk to people you know about what kind of cars they drive, did you do some research on the Internet, and did you go for some test drives to see what cars felt right? Similarly to buying a new car, when searching for a therapist, a person wants to do research on the therapist and then see it that therapist is a good fit for them.

When a person decides to enter into counseling, they are making a decision to address issues or problems that are creating a disturbance in their life. Since counseling is a collaborative process between the client and their therapist, it is important that each person finds a therapist that is right for them. But what should you look for when looking for a therapist? How do you go about finding a therapist that is right for you?

Let's begin with how to go about finding a therapist. There are many ways that a person can find therapists in their area:
1. Do searches online
2. Call 2-1-1
3. Talk with friends and see who they are/have seen
4. Talk with your doctor
5. Call your insurance plan and see what therapists in the area accept your insurance

Now that you have found a therapist, it is time to do a little research. Call the therapist and ask questions. Some good questions to start with are:
1. What type of appointment times do they have available?
2. What is the cost? Do they work on a sliding scale?
3. Where are they located?
4. What is the therapists education?
5. What is the therapist's expertise and experience? Have they worked with other clients who
have had similar problems to what you are dealing with?

If you are satisfied with the answers you receive, set up an appointment. In my opinion, a very large part of therapy and a client's ability to make progress hinges on the rapport a client and therapist have. So, it is important that when you meet with your therapist that you are comfortable with them. In talking with your therapist, don't be afraid to ask questions. Remember, if you are not able to be open and honest during your counseling session, you are not going to receive the full benefit of counseling services.

Right NOW By: Travis McBride and Mind Power 365

Right NOW

By: Travis McBride and Mind Power 365

U were not, U Are & It Is. Stop the Addiction to yesterday & tomorrow. U are who you are right now. Your power lies in the present. Pull yourself into The NOW. Feel The NOW & Embrace it. When U are NOW, there is no lack, no need, & no pain. U are complete. U already have NOW what it takes to BE what U want to BE. Don't look to the past or the future for your identity, Be You NOW.

Love & Happiness are always NOW.

Positive People, Positive Thinking, Positive Results!!

http://www.cfmha.com/

Parenting style impacts teen crash risk and behavior

Recent reaseach from State Farm and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) shows that teen crashes and risky driving behavior such as cell phone use, failure to wear seatbelts, and drinking and driving are strongly linked with the ways teens and parents communicate and approach rules about safety.

The study which is based on the nationally-representative National Young Driver Survey of more that 5,500 teenagers found that teens whose parents set clear rules, paid attention to where they where going and whom they were with, and did so in a supportive way, were:

-Half as likely to crash
-Twice as likely to wear seatbelts
-71 percent less likely to drive while intoxicated
-30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving

The Power Of Your Words: By Mind Power 365

The Power Of Your Words:

By: Mind Power 365

Words said with feeling and emotion have Power.

Add all of these words to your daily vocabulary.

Positive Words

Abundant Accept

Acclaimed Accomplishment Achievement

Action Active Activist

Acumen Adjust Admire

Adopt Adorable Adored

Adventure Affirmative Affluent

Agree Airy Alive

Alliance Alter Amaze

Amity Animated Answer

Appreciation Approve Aptitude

Artistic Assertive Astonish

Astounding Astute Attractive

Authentic Basic Beaming

Beautiful Believe Benefactor

Benefit Bighearted Blessed

Bliss Bloom Bountiful

Bounty Brave Bright

Brilliant Bubbly Bunch

Burgeon Calm Celebrate

Certain Change Character

Charitable Charming Cheer

Cherish Clarity Classy

Clean Clever Closeness

Commend Companionship Complete

Comradeship Confident Connect

Connected Constant Content

Conviction Copious Core

Coupled Courageous Creative

Cuddle Cultivate Cure

Curious Cute Dazzling Debt Free

Delight Direct Discover

Distinguished Divine Donate

Each Day Eager Earnest

Easy Ecstasy Effervescent

Efficient Effortless Electrifying

Elegance Embrace Encompassing

Encourage Endorse Energized

Energy Enjoy Enormously

Enthuse Enthusiastic Entirely

Essence Established Esteem

Esteemed Everyday Excited

Exciting Exhilarating Expand

Explore Express Exquisite

Exultant Faith Familiar

Family Famous Feat

Fit Flourish For the Highest Good Forgiveness

Fortunate Fortune Freedom

Fresh Friendship Full

Funny Gather Generous

Genius Genuine Give

Glad Glow Gorgeous

Grace Graceful Gratitude

Green Grin Group

Grow Handsome Happy

Harmony Healed Healing

Healthful Healthy Heart

Hearty Heavenly Helpful

Here Here Hold

Holy Honest Honored

Hug I affirm I allow

I am willing I am. I Can

I choose I create I follow

I know I know, without a doubt I make

I realize I take action I trust

Idea Ideal Imaginative

In Every Way In this moment Increase

Incredible Independent Ingenious

Innate Innovate Inspire

Instantaneous Instinct Intellectual

Intelligence Intuitive Inventive

Joined Jovial Joy

Jubilation Keen Key

Kind Kiss Knowledge

Laugh Leader Learn

Legendary Let Go Light

Lively Love Loveliness

Lucidity Lucrative Luminous

Maintain Marvelous Master

Meaningful Meditate Mend

Metamorphosis Millionaire

Mind-Blowing Miracle

Mission Modify Motivate

Moving Natural Nature

Nourish Nourished Novel

Now Nurture Nutritious

One Open Openhanded

Optimistic Paradise Party

Peace Perfect Phenomenon

Pleasure Plenteous Plentiful

Plenty Plethora Poise

Polish Popular Positive

Powerful Prepared Pretty

Principle Productive Project

Prominent Prosperous Protect

Proud Purpose Quest

Quick Quiet Ready

Recognized Refinement Refresh

Rejoice Rejuvenate Relax

Reliance Rely Remarkable

Renew Renowned Replenished

Resolution Resound Resources

Respect Restore Revered

Revolutionize Rewarding Rich

Right Now Robust Rousing

Safe Secure See

Sensation Serenity Shift

Shine Shown Silence

Simple Sincerity Smart

Smile Smooth Solution

Soul Sparkling Spirit

Spirited Spiritual Splendid

Spontaneous Stillness Stir

Stirring Strong Style

Success Sunny Support

Sure Surprise Sustain

Synchronized Team Thankful

Therapeutic Thorough Thrilled

Thrive Tied Today

Today Together Tranquil

Transform Triumph Trust

Truth Unity Unusual

Unwavering Upbeat Valued

Vary Venerated Venture

Vibrant Victory Vigorous

Vision Visualize Vital

Vivacious Voyage Wealthy

Welcome Well Whole

Wholesome Willing With Everyone

Wonder Wonderful Wondrous

Yes

Positive People, Positive Thinking, Positive Results!

http://www.cfmha.com/

Interviewing Tips

Due to our country's current economic state, many people today have found themselves unemployed. Being unemployed can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, and not to mention financial stress. Employment provides us with multiple needs in our everyday lives, such as providing us with income, a sense of purpose, and social interaction, just to name a few. With a larger number of people applying for less positions, a person's interviewing skills could be the deciding factor in the decision to hire person A or person B. Here are a few tips to keep in mind the next time you head out to a job interview.

1. Like the Boy Scouts say, "always be prepared." Make sure you know about the company you are interviewing for. Also make sure you are familiar and comfortable with your own employment history.

2. Always maintain good eye contact. Eye contact shows that you are interested in the position and that you have confidence in yourself.

3. "Practice makes perfect." Practice doing mock interviews with family or friends, so that you will be more comfortable and prepared when you sit down for the live interview.

4, Be interested....in other words talk with the interviewer about the job and the company. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

5. Adapt yourself and your skills to the interview and the position. For example, if you were previously a cashier at Winn Dixie, and now you are applying for a sales position at a car dealership, focus on your customer services skills and show the interviewer how that can translate to sales in their dealership.

6. And finally remain positive throughout the interview, in regards to yourself and past employers as well. Show the interviewer that you will be an asset to their company, not a problem.

Hopefully, these tips will help you during your next job interview. Remember, be prepared, eye contact, practice, be interested, adapt and be positive. The way you carry yourself during an interview plays a large role in the determination of who gets hired and who does not, show them why you will make their company a better place. Good luck and happy job searching.

Suicide in Youth: Important information for Everyone

Each year in the U.S approximately 2 million U.S adolescents attempt suicide and 700,000 receive medical attention for their attempt (AACAP, 2001). It is estimated that each year in the U.S, approximately 2,000 youth ages 10-19 complete suicide. In 2000, suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24 years of age following unintentional injuries and homicide (CDC).

What leads to suicide in children and adolescents?
-Life stressors
-Problems in relationship with parents
-Impulsive or aggressive tendencies
-History of physical or sexual abuse
-Parents' mental illness
-Family history of suicide
-Prior suicide attempt
-Substance abuse disorders
-Mental illness
-Easy access to lethal methods, especially guns

Warning signs of suicide behavior
-Current or recent suicidal thoughts or attempt.
-Changes in eating or sleeping habits
-Violent actions or running away
-Drug or alcohol use
-Unusual neglect of personal appearance
-Marked personality change
-Difficulty concentration
-Decline in quality of schoolwork
-Frequent complains of physical symptoms like stomachaches, headaches and fatigue
-Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
-Not tolerating praise and rewards

How you can help:
-Take every suicidal threat seriously. Take the youth to the closest emergency room for a physican evaluation. If the youth refuses to go, call 911 and a police officer will screen the youth and transport to the emergency room.
-Seek counseling for the youth. Call us at Central Florida Mental Health Associates at 386.624.5501 for a free phone consultation. You can also visit our website at www.cfmha.com

To read the complete article visit nami.org